where the blossoms are
by CHOMP-YOO
Summary: first story. complete. sakura's struggle to find a place where she belongs-- a place where the cherry blossoms bloom, and a place where she can finally find and experience love.
1. Questioning the plan

This is my first story. i do not own ccs. i wish i did... review, please! -CHOMP-YOO

.…………

"FREAKIN WAKE UP SAKURA!" a voice boomed downstairs. It was her father.

Sakura groaned. It was 7 a.m.! Why did her father try to deprive her from sleep every day? Grrrrrrrrrrr.

"I DID NOT JUST HEAR THAT GROAN. WAKE UP," her father demanded.

Sakura, a thirteen year old girl living with only her father, had to wake up every day to work and cook breakfast. Her mother Nadeshiko had died when she was only three. Sakura painfully lived with her father, slowly growing older. She was a beautiful, curious girl who was determined and set her mind on whatever she wanted to do. She had golden hair with emerald eyes. She had puppy eyes, and cute lips which she pouted when she was pissed. It was true how every boy would chase after her, but somehow she never ended up having the true guy she wanted.

Sakura dressed with fatigue and stomped downstairs. She had to make breakfast and pack her father's bags for him to go to work.

Her father was very strict, and had no more feelings for Sakura than his wife that died. Every day he would force her to fix him breakfast and pack his bags for him to go to work. Not one day would he let her go to the movies with her friends or have fun at the mall. Not once. Never. He seemed hopeless without Sakura because he was so used to ordering around people to make him happy. There was never enough time for her to do her homework because there was an endless amount of chores. Dishes, sweeping floors, washing the floor, cleaning the table… the list went on and on.

Sakura sighed. Only ten more minutes until her father left to work. She quickly packed his bag, trying to remember the things he needed.

"Okay, I packed your bags," Said Sakura.

He snatched it from her hands and walked out the door. Disappointed, Sakura watched him disappear down the road. Was this how he thanked her every day?

Sakura knew that he was her father and she shouldn't hate him, but who wouldn't? He never said 'good morning' or 'good night' as any other father would. He never waved at her. Other girls would be embarrassed if dads did that to them, but Sakura envied this. For once, she wanted to feel loved. Loved by someone close to her, not just her friends.

_Maybe today, I can run away, Far away.. A place where there is freedom. A place where there is Love. A place…unlike here. Tomorrow I could leave. I want to leave this place forever…_

Sakura's mind raced and wondered. There was no school today, so she would call up her best friend, Tomoyo, to tell her the plan. She had planned this for years, but never had the courage to escape. She couldn't wait to get out of her home town.

…………………………..

Ring Ring! Ring Ring!

"hello?" answered Tomoyo.

"TOMOYO!" Sakura yelled from the other line. "I MISSED YOU! IT'S BEEN 24 HOURS SINCE I'VE LAST SEEN YOU!"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. Her best friend was crazy…yet lovely. Strange.

"Yes, I know, you miss me terribly. SO… is there something you intend on telling me?"

"Duh. About the plan…"

Tomoyo glanced around her room, making sure no one was listening.

"Oh that. Yeah, so are you ever gonna run away? What bout me, huh? Are you just gonna leave me here alone? Am I leaving with you?" Tomoyo inquired.

"Uh……………."

There was a long, awkward silence.

"COME WITH ME, IT CAN BE FUN, I CANT GO ON WITHOUT YOU—"

"--Sakura, stop. Puh-LEASE. That was like…half sarcasm. What do you expect me to do? I can't run away with you. It was your prerogative in the first place. Even If I do leave with you, what would I do? I'm useless. I'm not the one who wants to leave my home, anyway. If I were you, I would just deal with your dad. It's better that way, anyway. Not blindly running away not knowing where to go."

Another awkward silence followed.

Tomoyo, realizing what she said to interrupt, turned bright red. She had turned down her best friend's self esteem. She knew what she said was true, but she never should have blabbed it out. _Arghh. I'm such a stupid rambler. Why can't I just shut up for once? Great, now Sakura's mad at me. What if she leaves today? I won't even be able to see her again because she's pissed at me…_

Just then Sakura hung up.

_Crap. She **is** mad at me._

…………………………………………………….

Sakura sat dumbly on her bed, not knowing what to feel. Her best friend had just drained emotions from her. _Whatever, I don't care. I'm leaving, whether it's today or tomorrow. Might as well be now or never…_

_I'm gonna find that place. No matter how long it takes…_

………………………………

chapter two is up;; Into the darkness.


	2. Into the Darkness

CHAPTER 2

…………………

That night Sakura couldn't go to sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, wondering when she should leave. She looked around her room. It was cold for a night during spring. School was almost over. She had teddy bears on her wooden closet and a plain clock hanging on her wall. 1: am. She had a wooden night stand located next to her bed, which was also wooden._I want to leave today._ _Get out of this place. What should I pack?_

Sakura jumped out of her bed and walked over to her closet and fumbled for a suitcase. When she finally found one, she shoved jackets, shirts, pants, underwear, socks, her warmest clothing she could find. Truthfully, she didn't know what to expect. She didn't know what was going to happen to her if she ran away. She didn't know what her father would think. She just needed to get out of home. As she packed her things, she quickly prayed to god. Regretting how she wouldn't be able to attend to church when she leaves, she promised to god she would pray every day. _Please God, let me find the place where I truly belong._

As quietly as possible, she stripped off her pajamas and dressed hurriedly. Then Sakura carried her suitcase downstairs into the kitchen. It was dead silent except for the crickets outside that chirped loudly in the silent night. She could hear her heart thumping. She felt as though her heart was beating the words: _Free-dom. Free-dom. Free-dom._ Sakura looked outside. It was not completely dark outside because there were some houses that still had lights on. She sucked in a breath of air, feeling brave. Stepping outside, the air was humid. About 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Not bad for a day to travel.

Sakura, cautiously aware that she was a thirteen year old girl walking down the streets in the middle of the night, felt scared. She needed to feel secure because she felt exposed in the emptiness of her town. Finally, Sakura decided to stop by at Tomoyo's house. When she arrived, it was completely dark. Sakura spotted Tomoyo's bedroom. _I've got to wake up Tomoyo. If only I get her attention without waking anybody else up…_

Sakura, the brilliant, picked up a small pebble. _This won't hurt…_

She chucked it at Tomoyo's window, making a little tinking sound. Enough to wake somebody up. Sakura stood there dumbly, waiting for a little sound of her best friend. Nothing happened. She repeatedly threw rocks until she saw Tomoyo's round, beautiful face. Her silver hair gleamed and sparkled in the moonlight, while her blue eyes seemed to shine naturally. She looked tired, and disappeared from the window.

The door opened and Sakura ran to embrace her loved friend.

"SAKURA! What are you doing? It's like… 2: am! Don't freeze out here! You wanna sleep at my house or something? Don't tell me your running away today.."

"You betcha," smirked Sakura.

Tomoyo sighed.

"you're always up to no good. Thanks for waking me up."

Tomoyo smiled. They hugged again, feeling loved by each other. _Who need's guys_, thought Tomoyo. _Especially when you got your best friend to hug you every day. _"Here, let me get you some food cause I don't want you to starve."

"Okay," relied Sakura.

As she waited outside Tomoyo's doorstep, pondering at what could happen on her journey, Tomoyo showed up with nine bottles of water and various foods shoved in a plastic bag.

They took a deep breath and nervousness took over.

"What will happen if you never come back?" asked Tomoyo.

Sakura smiled and said, " I will come back. I promise. I don't plan on ditching my best friend that means the world to me."

"What about if you don't survive? How will I know if something happens?"

"Hmm… your really making me think, Tomoyo. I don't know. You'll just know, you know? After about like 10 years of being together, you'd think we wouldn't know when one of us was hurt? Something just tells me that if something happened to you, I'd feel it. In my heart, because somehow we are connected, you know?"

They pondered in silence.

"Yeah, I know. I just hope you'll be alright. Are you sure you wanna go? I mean, you can—"

"I'm sure," interrupted Sakura.

"Okay…I guess… Just promise me that you won't get yourself into a lot of trouble, KAY?"

"Okay. I promise."

The two friends stared at each other, absorbed into their own thoughts. Sakura's lip began to quiver and her eyes became larger. Before she knew it, glittery tears began to slip from the corner of her eyes. She would not be able to see such a friendly, beautiful, beloved face anymore.

"Oh stop it. Don't cry…" Tomoyo wiped the tears from Sakura's eyes and later wiped her own. "Well, this is it… Just know that I'll always be with you. If you feel something familiar in your heart, just know that it's me thinking of you."

"Okay."

They hugged for the last time and Sakura found herself on the same, dark, gloomy street, not knowing that loomed ahead of it. Whatever it was, it felt good to be elsewhere. She glanced back, spotting Tomoyo's silver hair in the darkness. She knew she was watching her until she was out of sight, and Sakura felt safe. She sucked in a breath and felt exhilarated. She stepped into the anonymous darkness and thought, _I'm gonna find that place, alright._


	3. The Prince

CHAPTER 3

……………………………

Sakura's legs began to wobble. Exhausted, she looked around in the woods for a place to stop and sleep. When she finally found a clearing, Sakura set down her bags and suitcase and began to unfold her sheets and blankets. She cuddled up in a ball, and with drooping eyes she observed the mysterious place. Trees were everywhere. They were mostly all tall, blocking everything from view. There was also a lot of dirt, and the woods began to seem like a forest. A very thick forest. Sakura gazed up at the sky and found herself staring into silver moonlight. It was full moon, and it strangely reminded her of Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo…" whispered Sakura. "Can you hear me…?"

Sakura waited for a reply, a sign, but found nothing. Instead, there was just silence that answered her question. Feeling foolish, Sakura found herself drifting into sleep. Her breathing steadied and before she knew it, everything turned black.

…………………………..

Night turned into day, and Sakura woke up to the brightness of the sun that shone directly above her. Paranoid, she pulled the sheets over her head.

_Ugh. What time is it? I wonder when I'll have to make dad's breakfast and pack his bags. How come he didn't yell at me yet…? WAIT HUH? I AM NOT AT HOME!_

Sakura popped up from her covers and looked around. Astonished, she hopped out of the sheets and stretched. The air smelled fresh of pine, which, for some reason, made her stomach rumble. Sakura searched around in her bag of food until she found some water and bread. She took a few gulps of water and shoved the bread into her mouth, chewing slowly. _Yummmm. Well, I better get going before its dark._

She reluctantly got up, wanting to be lazy and eat more food, but knew she shouldn't. So instead, Sakura found a path and followed it because there wasn't a better place to go. After about 2 hours of walking, Sakura found herself at a clearing surrounded by trees. Strange, she thought. When she looked around, she found herself staring at the very same bread crumbs that matched the bread she ate this morning.

_Oh no, please don't tell me.. I went in a circle. Humph. I am NOT lost…_

"Oh, silly Sakura! Don't worry!" She said to herself, trying to reassure everything was going to be okay.

So, Sakura decided to try the path a last time, keeping her eye out on the road ahead of her. After another 2 hours, the soles of her feet began to ache and she whimpered as she found herself in the beginning again. _Oh dear God…Sweet God please tell me I am not going in circles._

It was already the afternoon, and Sakura had gotten herself no where. Disappointed, she sat down on a log and began to replay scenes from her life.

She remembered when she and Tomoyo hugged at about 2:00 a.m. It was only yesterday, but it somehow seemed as if it were weeks ago. She also remembered the day before yesterday, when they had the awkward conversation over the phone, and the vague memory of her father snatching his work bags from her hand.

_Oh, why? Why didn't I just stay at home? What is wrong with me? I want to see Tomoyo again.. I want to see my dad and my mom. I want to go to school. I want to think about something different. I want to be carefree. I don't want to be lonely and stuck in a silent place. Why did I even leave? I don't even know if I'll ever be able to see anyone again. How am I supposed to get out of this mess? No one would even want to talk to me if I ever do return home. Hey, Look, it's Sakura, the freak who tried to run away and got scared in the woods so she ran all the way back home. Yeah, that's me alright…_

Tears spilled from her eyes and trickled down her rosy, chapped cheeks.

_It's my entire fault! I can't imagine Tomoyo without me. Her life sucked as much as mine. Well almost, but still! Ugh. Great. Theres no turning back now… I only have one direction. Forward. Might as well see what's ahead of me._

Sniffing, Sakura hopelessly sat on the log for another ten minutes and began to sob again. Her sobs began so uncontrollable to the point where someone could hear her yards away.

Suddenly, Sakura heard a twig snap from a distance. She looked around, glancing this way and that. She felt terrified and strained her ears to listen to a sign of life. She heard nothing but silence, until she gave up once again and sulked on 'Sakura's' log.

"Hey, something wrong?" asked a deep voice standing above her. Sakura looked up, but couldn't see anything because the whole place was blurred from her salty tears. She wiped them, and found her facing a handsome boy around her age. He had hair the color of honey and dandelions, while his eyes were the color of amber fire.

They stared at each other, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sakura decided to break the silence, and asked, "Umm… yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."

"Yeah, whatever. No problem. My first name is Syaoran, but if you don't recognize me yet, I am Syaoran , you know, the prince?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped, nearly choking from surprise.

She didn't know what to say, but surprisingly enough, he offered Sakura a hand to get her butt off the soggy log.

They stood face-by-face, staring into each other's eyes.

_Hmmmmmm. He's pretty strange for a prince, I'd say._

…………………………………………………………

READ CHAPTER FOUR.


	4. Unlocking the Past

CHAPTER 4

………………………….

Syaoran and Sakura traveled together from the day they met. They were both pretty much hopeless in such a big forest without each other. Together, they helped each other and soon were on the right path.

"Oh my… can we PLEASE stop walking? My feet are about to fall off and I'm gonna die if you don't stop going!" Sakura whined.

Syaoran grunted.

"Psh, what good are you if you can't even walk for 3 hours straight? Fine, whatever. We'll rest for now, happy?"

"Yup."

Sakura smiled at him and Syaoran looked away.

_Strange,_ thought Sakura. She was never used to anyone turning away to look somewhere else when she smiled at them. Then Sakura looked closer at the side of his angel-like face. _Hey, he's blushing! _Sakura giggled. Syaoran turned around, and his blush turned dark red and spread across his whole face, making him look angry.

"What's so funny?" He asked, irritated to travel with a giggly girl.

"Nothing," replied Sakura sheepishly. "Heehee."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. Something always amused Sakura.

When they found another clearing, they each sat on a log across from each other and took some fruit out to eat. It was quiet, except for the slurping sounds of Sakura and Syaoran munching on the apples. Being the faster eater, Syaoran chucked the core at Sakura's face when he finished.

"HEYYYY! What are you doing!" Sakura rubbed her cheek and growled. "Grrrrrrr" She quickly finished eating her apple and was about to throw the core at Syaoran's face. But Syaoran quickly got up from the log and ran away.

"Noooo! Come back! Where did you go?"

She stood there, waiting for a sound. Couple of minutes passed until she heard a crack. Syaoran broke a twig.

Sakura quickly turned around and hurled the core at his face, right into his mouth.

"EWWW!" he screamed. He quickly spit it out. _Girl germs. _"That's nasty! Wait... You're nasty," he commented.

Sakura smiled, again. He looked away. She giggled. He rolled his eyes.

"Let's get going again," he said.

"Again? I don't wanna. It's only been like five minutes!" She complained.

"Too bad."

He dragged her out of the clearing, along with their bags.

………………………………………………………………………….

Sakura and Syaoran walked together for a long time. They found another clearing at around 6:00 pm because the sun was setting. They sat down and ate some bread, along with celery Sakura had packed. They ate while watching the illuminate sun go down. The sky was filled with different, beautiful colors. The sky looked like someone had spilled paint everywhere, but brushed it this way and that. The sun was orange, while the sky was pink, blue, purple, and red. Sakura and Syaoran sat there in wonder, questioning about why it suddenly looked so safe and loving when the world was so cruel and dangerous, because they were both in the middle of an unknown forest, trapped by trees, with no where to go. Always wandering this way and that, trusting each other and their instincts.

There was a silence between them, both of them too absorbed into their own thoughts. So they sat there together, watching the sun slowly drop and watching the sky slowly fade into darkness.

Until the stars came out, they began to take out their sheets and blankets. Syaoran set his up right under a star, so Sakura placed her sheets and blankets right next to his. Surprised, Syaoran quickly looked up at the sky.

"Beautiful day, huh," whispered Sakura.

"Yeah, Course."

"So tell me, why are you here out in the woods?" she asked.

"What do you think? My life sucks. I chose to come out here, to find someplace else."

Syaoran got up and looked at Sakura in the eye.

"Why are _you _here? I mean, look at you, your—Why did you run away? You look so happy here. Like, like—like you don't care that you're stuck in the middle of a forest and this is some type of vacation from home for you."

Sakura frowned.

"Hey. Don't say that. Who wouldn't be grateful for finding a person like you in this place? I would have been lost without you. It's not like I just ran away from home because I felt like it. I love my friend Tomoyo. I love my family. But I have gone through a lot of hard times. My dad never ever told me once that he loved me. He never even talked to me, but only ordered me around all day. My mom died and my dad is just evil. My best friend prays for me everyday, hoping that somewhere out there I'm safe. And I am. Why shouldn't I be happy that I'm finally out in the world, with someone next to me, and I'm searching for that someone and someplace?"

Syaoran didn't know what to say. He just stared dumbly at Sakura. How would he have known what a little girl like her would say something huge like that? She had always seemed so care-free.

"So what's wrong with your life, fool?" questioned Sakura.

He sighed. Syaoran did not enjoy thinking about his past, and why he ran away from home. _But this girl, _he thought, _is different. Something about her… don't know what but I know it's a good thing._

"I guess I should start with a long story."

Syaoran sighed and lay on his bundle of blankets, staring up at the sky.

"When I was small," He began, "I loved my castle and my dad. My mom had died, just like you, and later, my dad died. You know that whole story. It spread across the whole world, basically. My brother took over the throne. I had no parent to love me or care for me. But instead, my brother married, and they treated me like a servant. I was always the one working hard, even though I was a prince. He almost hung me over the castle's highest tower, because he hated me so much. He said that dad died because of me. He said I was stupid, because I was ignorant and cold. The reasons for his mistakes were me. I hated him so much, so I almost attempted to kill him. But I didn't. My cautiousness told me not to. It would be manslaughter. So instead, I ran away. Knowing that in the world there would be someone to accept me and look past me. Some place where there was not as much suffering and a place where there is love," he cut off.

Tears filled up Syaoran's face, as he remembered the day his mother died. He was only seven. Syaoran quickly wiped away his tears.

Sakura looked at him, full of worry.

"That's okay," she whispered gently. "You still got me, and I got you. We have both experienced many similar things."

Syaoran nodded in agreement.

"Do you know what my mother told me before she died?"

"No…"

"She told me that life was cruel. And to survive it, I must be brave and tough through the hard times. Remember what I said, she said. Then she whispered the last three words. 'I love you.' And then she closed her eyes and her hand turned cold. My family was jealous because she only said those words to me, only me. I didn't know, but I know now."

The air around them surrounded them with haunting memories that they shared. The more they told, the more their past was unlocked to each other.

Their eyes drooped with sleep. Eyelids became shut and their breathing steadied along with their heartbeats.

……………………………………………….

Light filled the world and Sakura woke up. Yawning, she glanced around for Syaoran. _What an interesting night,_she thought.

_Something's missing. Hey, where's Syaoran?_

He was missing. No where to be seen. His blankets were still there, but he himself had disappeared.

_Oh no. Did he really hate me that much? Or was he scared to tell his past? Did someone take him away? Oh, I sure hope he's okay…_

………………………………………………….

THERES A CHAPTER FIVE. :


	5. The Secret

CHAPTER 5

…………………………...

Sakura's mind wandered restlessly. She grumpily folded her sheets and blankets and shoved them back in her leather suitcase.

_Oh great, now I don't know where to go!_

_Wait.. yeah I do._

_But, I don't know how to get there!_

_What am I supposed to do?_

_Will Syaoran come back?_

_Why didn't he take his stuff?_

Frustrated, Sakura decided to look for Syaoran. She stood up and walked out of the clearing in which the slept in, leaving her suitcase behind. _If he can last without his blankets, then I can too_, she thought. Not knowing where go, Sakura just let her feet do the job and paced herself in the anonymous forest. After about two hours of walking, Sakura found absolutely no sign of human life. It was dead silent, except for a few mosquitoes that kept buzzing around her neck. She swung her hand to try and kill the fly, but instead something sharp dug into her skin.

"OUCH!" She screamed, realizing something sharp had hurt her. Then, she heard an echo of her voice. _Crapp. I screamed to loud. Hey! Wait…_

"SSSSYYAAAOOORANNNNNNNNNN! SYAORAN! SYAORANNNNNNN! SSSSSSSSAYORAN! SYAORAAAAAAAN! SYAOOOOOOORANNNN!" Sakura shrieked, hoping Syaoran would hear her. So she stood there patiently, waiting for a reply. Nothing came. Only her echo replied. _Come on what is wrong with that kid? He HAS to be here somewhere._

When Sakura was definite that Syaoran had chosen not to reply but had heard her, she decided to walk a little farther in case she would see him. Another two hours passed by, with no useful results.

Sakura sighed. _It's all his fault._ Shameful of blaming it on someone else, Sakura's mind wondered about Tomoyo. Knowing that her best friend was most definitely doing okay, she felt relieved because she knew there was someone who cared about her. Sakura sat down on the dirt, dumbly staring into space. _Oh, I don't know what to do! _After ten minutes, she decided to go back. _I better hurry up, if he goes back to the clearing and I'm not there, he might leave without me! _Sakura panicked and quickly jumped up and started sprinting to back to the trail in which she had once been on. She rain for twenty minutes and was halfway there. Sakura panted and rested for a while, wondering why in the world Syaoran would leave her. The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her. _HE HATES ME! I KNOW IT. ITS ALL MY FAULT. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER PARANOIDED HIM AND THROWN THAT APPLE CORE AT HIS MOUTH! NOW HE HATES ME. Why is it so hard for someone to like me? Am I really that horrible? _Furious, Sakura threw a stone at a tree. _Clunk. _She made a dent in the tree.

_I hate anger problems._

Sakura sighed heavily and continued running. She had always been on the track team since she was ten and was the fastest girl on the team. Many girls envied her for this because she was so slim and fast when she ran. _At least all that running on track paid off!_

Another thirty minutes or so passed by and she was finally close to the clearing. Sakura tilted her head everywhere, looking for a cute honey hair colored and muscular thirteen-year-old-boy.

When she arrived at the clearing, Sakura gasped, bewildered.

_SYAORAN WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!_

She spied him looking through her suitcase. He was sitting alone, sticking his nose in Sakura's personal belongings.

Syaoran blushed. "whoops," he said.

Sakura sat next to Syaoran and glared at him in the eye.

"Listen up, retard. I ran about like what, three miles looking for you! WHY DID YOU DISSAPPEAR I WAS SCARED. NOT ONLY THAT BUT I SCREAMED YOUR NAME LIKE FIFTY TIMES AND YOU NEVER REPLIED. I come back, and I see you flipping through my stuff! What the hell are you doing?"

Syaoran's eyes widened.

"YOU?" He jabbed his finger at Sakura's baby cheeks. "You went out to look for me?" He asked.

"Mhmmmm," replied Sakura. "And I ran all those miles for nothing!"

"Yeah right, I can't even run three miles. And you expect me to believe that you did?"

Sakura pouted.

"Anyway… Why are you looking through my stuff?"

"I was hungry," He said.

"Well then why did you go off without me?"

"I was looking for somewhere," he said mysteriously.

Sakura cocked her head as more questions popped into her mind.

"What place?"

"Some place," Syaoran said with a smirk.

Sakura began to become suspicious. _What is this kid trying to do! Jesus!_

Syaoran laughed. "You know, you kind of remind me of my mom."

"Reaaaallyyyyy?"

He nodded.

"How?" blurted Sakura.

"Well…You always do what you want to do…You care about other people… You ask a lot of questions…You have hair that looks as bright as the sun…You have huge puppy eyes…You can't walk for more than three hours…You like to stare at the stars…Get the point?"

Sakura nodded in amazement. _How could I ever seem like I was related to **Syaoran**? _She questioned.

………………………………………………………

It was dark and they picked apples off of an apple tree which was a couple of miles away from the clearing. When they decided to sleep, Sakura began bombarding Syaoran with questions again.

"Are you ever gonna tell me that place?"

"Maybe," he said gruffly.

"Why won't you tell me now?"

"Because."

"Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee?"

"No. You will see."

Sakura growled. _He can be so annoying sometimes! _

"Are you ever gonna ditch me again like that?"

"Hope not, unless I have to."

"Okay."

Feeling reassured, Sakura slowly began to feel drowsy and slept snuggly next to Syaoran. It was a cold night, but they felt warm together under gleaming moon and stars. _What a beautiful night_, thought Sakura.

………………………………………………………

YES, THERE IS A CHAPTER SIX.


	6. Unexpected

CHAPTER 6

…………………………

_Sakuraaaaaaaaaa… Sakura………… wake up……………. Sakura………………_

_**HUH?**_

Sakura's eyes snapped open. She frantically turned her head around and screamed, "WHOS CALLING ME?"

As she turned around she saw Syaoran.

"Me, idiot, wake up," he said coldly.

Sakura yawned and stretched.

_Geez. I was just confused._

"Alright, let's get movin' on."

"Okay. Listen to me, okay?" replied Sakura grumpily.

Syaoran listened.

"Now. Where are we going and why do we always have to be in such a rush? I wanna go home…"

Sakura whimpered as she remembered the day Tomoyo had hugged her. It had only been a few weeks ago, but it felt like forever. She could no longer grasp onto that feeling of the embrace. Sakura had felt exhilarated when she had first left her village to go out into the real world. But was this real world what she really wanted? She had once thought this 'real world' would have freedom and love, but did it really? Now she just felt worn and bored of this 'trip'. Day and night she would walk, trying to find the place where the blossoms are. _Will I ever find it? Where am I even going with this guy?_

Syaoran glanced at Sakura, confused.

"What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "I thought you wanted to be out here…"

"I do… I just… I just feel like I'll never find that place that I was so sure that I would find..."

Syaoran suddenly grabbed her hand and glared at Sakura.

"**DON'T. **don't, okay? Just never, ever give up. How do you know if you won't find it? You've got me. You'll find the place today, I **promise.** But it'll work only if you believe me. So, now, **do** you believe me?"

Sakura quickly wiped the shimmering tear away from the corners of her eyes, and sniffled.

"Okay. I promise."

"Good."

He patted her on the head and quickly smiled, but made sure Sakura did not see it.

"So let's get going?" He asked.

Sakura nodded in agreement.

As they stood up, a morning breeze made Sakura's hair flap back. The breeze very much reminded Sakura of Tomoyo. _Hmmm. Is my Tomoyo thinking of me? I hope she's not up so early thinking about me. Ahhhh.. I love you Tomoyo IM GLAD YOU DIDN'T FORGET ME…Don't worry. I'm safe. And I know you are too.._

_**Tomoyo, at her house. 6:00 am**._

…………………………………………..

There Tomoyo sat cross-legged on her soft bed in her pajamas. She couldn't sleep, thinking and praying for her beloved friend Sakura.

She yawned and leaped out of bed. She slowly walked to her closet, slid it open, and glanced around and found a photo album in which she kept Sakura and her drawings. As she opened the book, she found herself smiling as she spotted a picture Sakura drew of herself. It looked like something a kindergartener would draw, but Sakura was eight years old when she drew it. She had never been artistic, but Tomoyo was.

Minutes passed by, and Tomoyo finally closed the album, feeling teary.

She shivered and quickly snuggled back into bed, allowing her eye lids to slowly close as she thought of Sakura.

_I know she's okay. I know it. I can feel it. I don't know if she's by herself, I mean after all its been a while…How is she doing? Should I go out to look for her?_

_Don't be silly, Tomoyo._

Talking to herself, Tomoyo's brain became fuzzy, filled with confusion.

_WHERE IS SAKURA? WHY ISN'T SHE COMING BACK?_

_Sakura is in the forest somewhere…She is looking for a place where she truly belongs._

_WHY DOESN'T SHE BELONG HERE?_

_Because she doesn't like it here._

_STOP…_

Tomoyo's head began to spin and she began to feel dizzy.

_Ahh, whatever, I better stop talking to myself._

_I just hope Sakura's okay…_

_I wonder when she's coming back…_

_Oh please be okay…_

………………………………..

_**Back to Sakura and Syaoran.**_

Together they walked in silence.

Syaoran's face was filled with frustration while Sakura stared blankly at the sky above them. The sun was beginning to rise and it warmed the air up around them. Soon, birds chirped their beautiful melody and the forest was alive.

It felt good to be outside again.

Breaking the silence, Sakura asked, "Syaoran… are you sure about where we're going?"

Syaoran smirked.

"What, do you think I am trying to take you to some scary place? How much more sure do you want me to be!"

Not sure of what he was expecting as a reply, Sakura simply turned her head away and gazed at the wild flowers on the side of the sidewalk.

_Wait. Sidewalk… Oh, Lord, I LOVE YOU._

"SYAORAN!" Sakura squealed excitedly. "We're on the sidewalk! We're on a sidewalk! We're not lost! We never were lost! I love you! I love you more now!"

Sakura twirled in the air and gave Syaoran a bear hug, nearly choking him from the tight embrace.

Syaoran's cheeks quickly burned and turned hot-red and he instinctively tried to push her away, but Sakura held on.

"I knew you could find it."

Sakura stared up at his illuminating eyes and smiled. "**_I knew you could find it._**"

Syaoran, who was quickly embarrassed, looked away and said nothing but allowed her to hug him.

Sakura laid her head of his warm chest, which brought warmth to her face. As she rested her head there, she could hear the beating of his heart.

_Pump pump. Pump pump. Pump pump._

_Pump pump pump… pump…_

Sakura, realizing that his heart was skipping beats, became scared.

_IS HE DYING? Why is his heart beating so fast?_

But then another thought popped into her head.

_Maybe he's scared and his heart is beating faster…_

Sakura foolishly smiled and the thought warmed her heart.

_Maybe he really is cute, even though he seems so mean._

_He's actually nice._

Sakura began to feel her own heart skipping beats and beating faster. It felt exhilarating, just like that very night she left home. _Maybe this trip is worth it._

_Maybe I've found someone._

………………………………….

One hour later on the loved sidewalk, Syaoran quickly put his hands around Sakura's eyes, making sure she could not see anything.

"Syaoran? What are you doing to me?" She asked, trying not to make her voice sound wobbly and afraid.

"It's a surprise. What else?"

"But.. I cant seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Sakura whined.

Syaoran sighed.

"Just wait!" He snapped back.

As Syaoran led Sakura down the path like a dog leading a blind person, he was finally at the destination he exactly hoped he was at.

He quietly but efficiently walked on the crunchy, green grass. With his strong and muscular arms, he lifted Sakura up and settled her on a sturdy tree branch. He took a deep breath, and said, "Surprise. This place is all for you."

Sakura opened her eyes and looked around.

_Oh my god._

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. _Was this all true? Am I really here? _Sakura rubbed her eyes and found herself staring at what she was staring at a few moments ago. She could not find the words to describe the elegant place she was at. There were no words, no words she could ever say at that moment so tell him how much this meant to her. There was nothing to simply say but take in everything she saw. She found herself sitting on a safe and comfortable willow tree, and surrounding the tree were so many other trees. But not just any trees. **They were trees that bloomed blossoms**. The pink cherry blossoms were everywhere on the tree, and some petals blew away from the warm wind. They were carried off and some floated off or landed on the soft green grass. The place looked like heaven. But nothing else felt lovelier than being with the boy who had bought her here, and had leaded her this whole way just for her to see the place she desperately craved.

Syaoran titled his head back and looked at the white fluffy clouds in the beautiful blue sky.

"What a beautiful day, huh?"

Sakura did not have to reply. Instead, she let the tears slip from the corners of her eyes and slowly meander down her face onto the tree.

Her voice trembled but she managed to slip the words "Yes, what beautiful day" from her lips.

……………………………………..

there's a chapter seven and so on.

Well, that was the longest chapter I've written so far.

Do you like? xD

Haha

Sorry I didn't update for a while…

The story still goes on. Just because shes at the place doesn't mean its over..They stil have to go home. Ok, well **_REVIEW PLEASEEE! _**Hope you liked the story.

Xox

Connie


	7. tell me what is love and faith?

CHAPTER 7

………………………………

Sakura's eyes filled with wonder and she adored the sacred place.

Minutes passed, and Sakura was speechless.

The wind blew through her hair, and soft delicate pink petals landed in her hair. The sun warmed her body and heart, and the air had a sweet honey-like aroma.

"How did you find this place…?" She finally asked.

"Well, you see… remember when I left for a long time? And you went to look for me? And then you came back and saw me looking through your stuff?"

Sakura nodded.  
Syaoran continued, "Well, I was looking for this place. At first, I thought it was just stupid of me to look for some place that you wanted when I was looking for somewhere myself, too. At that time I thought I shouldn't waste my time for someone else, because I was selfish..."  
Syaoran paused.  
"Selfish like my father… but I guess I was wrong. When I realized what I saw in you.. I knew what I had to do. I had to find that place, and when I did, it just felt so right. It felt like I was… just born again, I guess. Like starting out fresh again.."

"Why did you do this for me..?"

"Cause. You're the only one I ever would. There's just something about you, you know? Something about you that makes me feel all warm and something that makes me get butterflies in my stomach. What's that word called?"

Sakura slowly smiled. _Silly boy,_ she thought.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!" Syaoran said eagerly. "Tell me! Tell me everything!"

Sakura laughed, watching Syaoran's handsome face turn into a little boy's smile.

"Hey look! There's a blue jay! You know what that means… good luck! So make a wish!"

Sakura slowly closed her eyes, clasped her hands, and thoughtfully wished for something.

_I wish, I wish…._

"Well, aren't you going to make a wish?" She asked, staring at him dumbly.

"No. Why would I need to? I already got mine."  
Syaoran looked away, turning his head to gaze at another cherry blossom tree.

"Why would you make a wish? What are you still missing?"

"I need it."

"For what? Do what? Want what? I thought you have everything. Wasn't this what you wanted?"

Without answering, Sakura inched little-by-little towards Syaoran and closed her eyes.

"To do this."

She leaned and tenderly sunk her lips into his.

Not daring to break the stunning moment, they kissed for a few minutes.

Feeling exhilarated and unusually happy, she pulled herself apart from Syaoran.

Looking at his beautiful face, Sakura decided it was the right thing to do.  
"I love you." She said, meaningfully.

Without saying a word, Syaoran replied by pulling her close to his body.

_So that's the word. Love. why does it seem so.. strange to me? Yet so familiar. I guess I haven't heard that word in such a long time, _thought Syaoran. _What is this feeling…?_

Flashback

Syaoran squirmed in bed. He was only six years old, turning seven. This was only a little before his mother, Negishi, soon passed away.

Negishi carefully tucked her cute son into bed. She propped up his pillow, smoothed the blankets, and rubbed little Syaoran's hair.

"One day….you will meet a very special girl," She said foolishly and meaningfully. "she will care for you as I do. And she will love you, too."

"Mama…?" asked Syaoran.

"Yes, dear."

"What is love?"

"Ahhh.. .now that is a very difficult question. But I shall not answer it now. When you find that special person, share with her your memories… and care for her. If she returns that care for you, too, you will know that love is. But let me tell you something first. They say… that hello is always accompanied with goodbye. They say… that good memories can start to make you cry. They also say how people can forgive but never forget how one night can contain so much regret. Even thought they say that hello is always accompanied with goodbye, I know that when someone says 'I love you" from their heart, then it is true."

The confused and droopy-eyed Syaoran yawned.

"Mommy, how will I ever remember what you have just told me!"

"I have faith in you."

"What's faith?"

The fragile, tired, and old Negishi-San wrinkled her nose.

"That is a different story that I will tell you another night. Goodnight. I love you, my little Syaoran."

And with that, she switched off the lights and closed the door, leaving Syaoran in thought.

But, there never was 'another night'.

She had forgotten, and her death was soon on her way.

End of Flashback

"Syaoran? A-are you okay? Your not offended that I told you I love you, right?"

Sakura waited uneasily for him to reply.

"HUH?"

Syaoran quickly returned to looking sharp. He snapped his head back up, trying to look bright. "I'm sorry. I just remembered something." _So much for zoning out,_ he thought. _That memory… I must remember it._

Sakura giggled delightfully, knowing her lovely Syaoran was just having another brain lapse._ I love how he makes me laugh when nothing's funny._

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Minutes later, Sakura could not help but wonder. _In such a mysterious, hidden and sacred place like this, how will I know where it is? After all, I've looked for this place for so long. I guess this'll be the first and last time I see it. I want to see this place again… I want to feel all of this again… I want to remember… to capture all these moments… I want to relive all these events… how will I ever find this place again!_

This depressing thought made Sakura shiver, almost bringing those familiar shiny teardrops to her eyes again.

_NO! I MUST NOT CRY!_

Startlingly, as if Syaoran read Sakura's mind, he simply said, "Don't cry…! Don't ever be afraid that you can't come here again. You were made to be here. When the time comes, you'll be here again. I just know it. Whether it's with me or not, I just have this deep feeling that it's destiny. I have **faith** in you."

Not knowing that he didn't make much sense, Syaoran was surprised.

He noticed that he had just used the word 'faith'.

_Mom,_ he prayed, _I know what faith and love is. And I know who that 'special person just for me' is, too. She kind of reminds me of you, ya know? I hope you can hear me, wherever you are….._

…………………………………………………………………….

thats it. done. short.

im discontinuing this story. lol sorryyy. my new one shot is: **BEAUTIFUL DISASTER  
**

read that instead.

-CHOMP YOO (MISS CONNIE WANG. :) )


End file.
